


Convivencia

by unwindmyself



Series: curious shapes shift in the dark [68]
Category: True Blood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Banter, Costume Parties & Masquerades, F/F, F/M, Female Friendship, Fix-It, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Vampire Family, agency and choices!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-17
Updated: 2015-01-17
Packaged: 2018-03-07 22:23:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3185417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unwindmyself/pseuds/unwindmyself
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A week has gone by and the family is just finishing up preparations for the night's welcome-back-to-normalcy party.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Convivencia

**Author's Note:**

> Part one, "Angel At My Table."
> 
>  **Original Characters** : Noël Beringer

“Hey, Sporty,” Pam drawls, “your girlfriend actually gonna make it tonight?”

Willa sticks her tongue out. “She said their dad would let ‘em if Sookie came too.”

“So it all hinges on Sookie,” Pam says. “Of course.”

From behind the bar, Tara calls, “Don’t be a bitch, Pam.”

“Since when are you in the Sookie Fan Club again?” Pam asks.

“No matter whose fuckin’ fan club I am or ain’t in, we got more things to worry about tonight,” Tara points out.

Over the last week, the bar has been brought back to normal, just about. They’ve charged new furniture to a credit card belonging to the late Chancellor Braun, new glassware to the late Chancellor Harris; a new stash of alcohol has been purchased with some of the money from selling Bill’s pretentious statues. (As Jessica put it: “That’s mine to do what I wanna with, and I don’t wanna look at it ever again.”) There have been painters, cleaners, who-the-fuck-knows, even an audition for a DJ that yielded Noël Beringer, a “thirty-something in both ways” black fellow who doesn’t flinch when Pam describes him as “dapper.”

And though they decide to make the party a word-of-mouth event (“it ups the prestige!” Willa says eagerly) it’s not a skimpy guest list: Pam tells, among others, her pal Ghaliya, who tells her own circle, including her progeny and lover Asra, who tells _her_ friends; Tara tells the Bon Temps crowd, who tell _their_ friends; Jessica tells the collegiate acquaintances she can stand and Willa tells her _actual_ college friends; Devi invites a few people, Rhys and her roommates; Noël invites a few people. Except apparently the fairy girls are still only on the maybe list.

Doors open at midnight, so right now the family is bustling around, getting themselves and the space ready. Or rather, Willa and Tara and Pam are getting the bar ready, Jessica and Eric and Nora are allegedly still getting themselves ready.

“Are we doin’ anything with Eric’s throne?” Willa asks, tugging her ponytail tighter.

Tara and Pam shrug at each other. “Ask him if you’re curious,” Pam suggests.

“Fine,” Willa snaps. “I will.”

She storms off to knock on the office door, where the others are sequestered.

“Y’all!” she shouts.

No response.

“Maybe they’ve finally gone from _avant_ to _après ménage_ ,” Pam quips.

“Don’t be gross,” Willa groans, knocking again.

“Out in a minute,” Jessica shouts.

“It’s not gross if it’s true,” Pam muses.

“Yes it is,” Willa retorts.

In a moment, Jessica emerges from the room, nervously pulling on her dress (which is appropriately emblazoned with the British flag). “What’s up?” she asks.

“Just had a question for Eric, actually,” Willa murmurs. To her credit, she tries to be subtle about peeking to see if Eric and Nora are still dressing. “You, uh, you pull that off.”

“Thanks,” Jessica murmurs.

“Ready to be the figurehead leader of our girl group?”

But before Jessica can answer, Eric and Nora finally appear, and Eric looks so sullen that everyone else starts laughing.

“Nice soccer jersey,” Tara chortles.

“Footballer’s kit,” Nora corrects, pouting.

“Yeah, whatever,” Pam says. “What the fuck does that have to do with the 90s? They have soccer, or football, all the time.”

He turns to reveal the jersey’s name, _Beckham_.

“Get it?” Jessica asks eagerly. “Since Nora’s Posh, you know, Victoria Beckham, he’s David!”

“Cute,” Tara drones. “They’re married, y’all are basically married.”

Eric and Nora look at each other and burst out laughing.

“Or whatever you wanna call it,” Tara says.

“It was an easy costume,” Eric mutters.

“It’s charming,” Pam coos. “Gotta say the shorts make you look real nonthreatening.”

Eric scowls. “You’re not exactly at your murderous best, Baby Spice,” he retorts.

At that moment, there comes a knocking at the door.

“We’re not open yet,” Eric hollers.

“It’s Noël.”

In a split second, Willa is at the door, grinning as she lets him in. “Nice jersey!”

He chuckles. “I figured there’d be plenty of grunge kids and teen idols tonight,” he explains. “So I thought, why not Michael Jordan? More specifically, Michael Jordan from _Space Jam_.”

“What the hell does a basketball player have to do with space?” Nora whispers to Jessica.

“Tell you later,” Jessica replies. Then she turns to Eric, adding, “See, you’re not the only one dressed as an athlete!”

“Who are you supposed to be?” Noël asks.

“Since they’re the Spice Girls – ”

“I figured,” Noël interrupts.

“And my sister is Posh, my – Jessica thought it only appropriate I go as David Beckham,” Eric finishes, sounding like he’s already tired of explaining it.

“Cute,” Noël exclaims.

“Will you all stop saying that?” Eric grumbles.

“But it is,” Noël says. “Y’all are the cutest vampire family I’ve ever seen. All generational and affectionate and shit.”

All of them seem vaguely uncomfortable with this, but what Pam says is, “Still not used to hearing a Yankee say y’all.”

“I’m not used to being called a Yankee,” Noël replies cheerfully. “And anyway, I’ve lived here all the ten years since I got back from Amsterdam, do I really count?”

“You’d have to pick up the accent,” Pam decides.

“She’s one to talk about picking up accents,” Eric comments.

Noël shrugs. “Well, I’ll see what I can do.” He glances around the bar. “Anything I can do to help you finish setting up?”

“This is your show, li’l sis,” Pam tells Willa.

“Well, your stereo and speakers and stuff,” Willa says to Noël. “We didn’t wanna fuck with that, not knowin’ how you prefer it.”

“Thanks, dear heart,” Noël says with a smile, kissing her cheek before heading toward that corner.

“He’s nice,” Jessica says.

“Yeah,” Willa sighs happily. “And cute.”

“Don’t get too carried away,” Tara laughs. “You’ve got your girlfriend now.”

“She’s not my _girlfriend_ ,” Willa hisses, because they’re still not defined. “Anyway, I’m just makin’ an observation. Like sayin’ Ryan Gosling is cute.”

“He is,” Jessica agrees.

“Eh,” Tara says.

“Point is, it’s not a gonna do somethin’ about it observation,” Willa huffs.

“Not all of us can juggle partners,” Pam croons, swinging by with a box of bar napkins.

Immediately Jessica flinches, but then she rolls her eyes. “Don’t act like it’s so shocking,” she snaps.

“How’s that going, anyway?” Willa asks softly. “The whole… thing.”

“It’s okay,” Jessica says hesitantly. “I’m not sure what it is, but it’s okay.”


End file.
